Sabacc Night
by justlook3
Summary: Before that fateful journey to Ord Mantell, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker have a night of bonding.


AN: This was originally published in a print zine sometime in 2006-2007, but my records don't mention which one it was. If anyone remembers this, please let me know so I can mention it. Star Wars and its characters belong to Disney and George Lucas.

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"I still don't understand why the Alliance decided to set up a base on this frozen slushball of a planet anyway." Han Solo groused as he entered the Millennium Falcon. "It's cold enough outside to freeze a Hutt."

"You don't have to stay here, you know." His companion Luke Skywalker remarked. "Unless things have changed, you **chose** to come along."

"Yeah, well," Solo hedged, then changed the subject. "You think her worship is actually going to make it this time?"

"She said she would," Luke said, taking a seat at Han's sabacc table, removing his jacket as he did so. While Leia had her own quarters and Luke bunked with the rest of his squadron, Han and Chewbacca had chosen to remain aboard ship. Though cramped, it was definitely warmer in here than elsewhere on the base and Luke had a new appreciation for Han's choice.

"Yeah, that's what she always says."

Luke glared at him from his seat, causing the Corellian to put his hands up in the air and say, "Don't be so defensive, kid, I'm not blaming her for not coming. She's a nice girl, but she's gotta learn to say 'No.'"

"She's not the only one," Luke said cryptically.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Yes, Luke what is that supposed to mean?" came a softer feminine voice from behind Han.

"Um, nothing Leia, glad you could come," stammered Luke.

"Hey, your worship, glad they let you go."

"Please, Han, call me Leia." Leia's tone was not the usual teasing or regal ones that Han was used to; instead she sounded tired, tired and worried.

"Are you okay?" Han asked in a gentle tone that surprised even him. "Do you need a drink?"

"Do you have any more of that whiskey?"

"That bad, huh? Have a seat, take off your coat, and I'll see what I can find."

Leia did as she was told, sinking into the one sofa in the rec room. Luke got up from the table and sat cross-legged on the floor in front of her looking up at her with an expectant and sympathetic expression.

"Where's Chewbacca?" Leia asked by way of making conversation.

"He's taking night watch tonight. That's why we were hoping you'd drop by, we need a third hand. Otherwise, we'd have to see if Wedge was free."

"I thought you liked him, you're bunkmates after all."

"I do, but you know how Corellians are when it comes to sabacc."

"Hey, I heard that." Han said entering the room, holding a dusty bottle in his hand. "This is my best bottle. I'd been saving it for a special occasion, but I think cheering up my favorite princess is a special occasion."

"How many princesses do you know, Han?" Luke asked, looking up at his friend as Han grabbed some glasses.

"Just one, that's why she's my favorite," Han has switched his tone to gentle teasing. He had a feeling that Leia wouldn't know what to do with the genuine concern he actually felt for her and he wasn't sure he would either. Luke and Leia were special to him but he had a hard time showing it.

"So, Leia," for some reason, Han always had trouble saying her name. He poured a splash of the whiskey into a glass and handed it to her. "What's the matter?"

Leia drained the glass and held it out for a refill. "Things aren't good."

"The Imps haven't found us have they?" Luke asked in alarm.

"Not this base. But today we received word that our base on Ord Mantell has been nearly wiped out. The Imperials attacked yesterday and there are very few survivors."

Han and Luke exchanged desperate looks. Ord Mantell was the Alliance's second most important base after Hoth. The only more important location was not a base, but a secret location that only the most important military leaders knew about, the place where Mon Mothma and the other leaders of the Alliance were hidden to place strategies and make plans for a future government.

Leia swallowed her next glass. "The survivors are in hiding on the planet. I'm to take a team in to escort them back here and to uncover vital data that they managed to sneak out of the base."

"That's suicide," Han whistled. "The Imps are going to lying in wait for someone to show up."

"I'm aware of that. But I cannot ask others to make sacrifices I will not make for myself. Now, please, I came here to take my mind off of Ord Mantell."

"Ah, then losing a few credits to me will take your mind off of it," grinned Han, setting up the table.

"Who says that I came here to lose?" Leia challenged, sitting across from him. The tone he was used to was back in her voice.

"Hey kid, hope you brought a lot of credits, our little card shark thinks she can beat us."

"I wouldn't put anything past her," Luke said, sliding into his place with an appreciative smile toward the princess.

"No, I wouldn't either." Han held up the bottle. "Who wants refills?"

Leia took another glass, which made Han smile. He had a feeling that she could nearly drink him under the table, something that he had not previously known about her, but appreciated highly. Luke declined, not having finished his first. Han splashed more in his glass, noting that Leia was one up on him.

Several glasses and hands later, Leia was definitely up in credits, Luke was way down and Han was just breaking even. He looked across the table and saw a smile creep across the princess' face.

"Sabacc!" she cried in triumph as she turned over her cards.

"Sorry, your worship, but," and Han turned over his cards, to show an Idiot's Array. "I win the pot."

"Can we take a break?" Luke asked.

"Sure, kid, I'm sure she was hating taking your credits."

Leia shook her head at him. Han held his hand out across the table. "Good playing, Leia."

She shook it and thanked him. Han turned off the table and asked, "Is anyone else hungry?"

"Yes," came the chorus from his tablemates. Han disappeared into his tiny kitchen area, after some crashes and rustling, Luke and Leia smelled something really good floating into the rec room.

Han reappeared. "Should be done in a few minutes."

"Is that real food I smell?" Luke asked suspiciously.

"Well, yes and no." Han grinned. "It's canned gunark stew. Now, you know the reason why I'm not in the military. I don't have to eat rations."

Leia glared at him. "You really should share. Food is a scarce enough."

"I **am** sharing with you," Han said. When Leia continued to glare, Han said. "Hey, hey, I only keep enough on board to feed Chewie and myself. Those are my personal provisions. Haven't I been smuggling in food?"

"Yes, you have." Leia nodded reluctantly. "And you have so far refused payment for it even though I know you should be paid."

"I keep a case for myself out of every shipment. That's my payment. I think of the rest of that as banking on my future. When you guys win this thing, I can go into a respectable import/export service."

Luke nearly fell off his chair laughing. "Han Solo, respectable?"

Even Leia giggled.

The timer on the food killed Han's retort and he was very gracious in serving up big bowls of the delicious stew.

"I've been so sick of rations," Luke said digging in.

"Me too." Leia said. "This is really good."

"Thank you. So cheered up yet, your worship?"

"Better." She shook her head. "It never ceases to amaze me."

"What does?" Han asked.

"Fate. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd ever end up here, in the rec room of a smuggler's freighter, eating canned gunark stew, with a smuggler and a transplanted farm boy, and be perfectly content."

Luke paused in his eating. "I never thought I'd ever get off of Tatooine. I didn't know I had the Force. I didn't even know my father was a Jedi Knight. I thought I'd spend forever just trying to exist on that moisture farm."

Han stared into his stew then was oddly contemplative. "I grew up on the streets. I didn't know who my parents were. I was a thief, just trying to stay alive. But a sponsor put me through the Academy; you know I was once an Imperial officer. I wasn't always a smuggler."

Luke looked up sharply; this was an unknown fact. Leia nodded, she had checked out his record.

"What happened?" Luke asked.

"Chewbacca. I rescued him from slavery. They drummed me out, dishonorable discharge. It wasn't something I cried over. I became a smuggler. And I never pictured I'd be here with the two of you either."

"I never knew my parents either," Luke said. "I was raised by my aunt and uncle."

"My mother died when I was very small. My father raised me alone." Leia's voice shook. Han and Luke understood. She had lost more than any of them had. Han and Luke hadn't many ties to their homes, but Leia had lost more than a home, she had lost everything.

Luke put a comforting arm around her, but Han was the one who spoke, words that came from the heart. "Maybe you're right about fate. I always thought the three of us, make that the four of us," Han nodded at Chewbacca, who had just entered the room. "didn't make much sense. We're all different, a smuggler, a Wookie, a farm boy, and a princess. But now I get it. We all thought we were alone. But we're not; we're a family now, Leia. You always have us, that is if you want us."

Leia smiled.

Han continued as if he didn't finish talking, he wouldn't say what he had to say. "I was going to tell you both tonight that I was leaving, I've got to pay Jabba. But I won't leave. I'll stay as long as either of you need me."

Chewie roared happily. He had long been trying to convince Han to stay. His sympathies were with the Alliance, but his loyalty was to Solo.

"When are going to Ord Mantell, Leia?" Luke asked.

"Tomorrow evening. I'd go sooner, but the General believes we should leave some time for the Imperials to become disinterested."

"Then I'm going with you." Luke said decidedly.

"You can't, Luke, the General wants all squadron leaders to stay here, just in case."

"Then Chewie and I will go with you. We can take the Falcon, it'll be easier to get in with it, anyway."

"Thank you, Han."

"Hey, it's no problem. Chewie would want to go anyway and it'll let Luke sleep easier knowing that you're in good hands, right kid?"

Luke wasn't so sure if he was entirely comfortable with Leia being alone with Han, but he decided that his own personal jealousies didn't matter. He simply nodded.

Leia sighed. "I should probably go. It's late."

"One last drink for the road?" Han asked picking up the remains of the bottle.

"Why not?" She held out her glass.

"I'd like to make the toast this time." Luke said as Han refilled the human's glasses then gave Chewbacca a glass as well.

"Sure, kid, what are we drinking to?"

"To family."

"To family." The others echoed and drained their glasses.

Saying their good nights, Leia and Luke soon departed. Han hummed while he cleaned up the remains of his little party. It had been a good night. He put the dishes in the washing unit, and then he called out to his partner.

"Chewie, better make sure the cargo hold is cleaned out. Don't know how many people we're going to have to transport back from Ord Mantell."

Suddenly, Han stopped what he was doing and frowned. Tiny hairs stood up on the back of his neck. He rubbed his neck as Chewbacca barked "_What's wrong?"_

Han shook his head. "I don't know. It's just that suddenly, I have a bad feeling about this."

The End

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AN2: These were not written originally in the chapter format, so I apologize for the length. It was better than trying to break it up.


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